EFFECT OF DIETARY TRITICALE ERGOT ON THE PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVAL OF BROILER CHICKS

Abstract

Two chick feeding trials were conducted to test the effect of dietary Triticale ergot and physical form of the diet on growth, feed per gain (F/G) ratio and mortality of broilers. Results indicated that chicks can tolerate 0.8% dietary ergot without adverse effect. Dietary ergot (1.6%) significantly depressed growth and increased the F/G ratio, which was not significantly different from control diets. Ergot levels of 3.2, 6.4 or 12.8% in wheat rations resulted in poor growth, inferior F/G ratio, toxicity signs (e.g. the toe nails, toes and beak turned black), and finally high mortality. The presence of Triticale (trial 2) in the mash diet appeared to alleviate part of the growth depression and improved the F/G ratio of chicks fed 1.6% ergot compared with those fed wheat and Triticale control rations. The Triticale diet in pellet form decreased growth significantly from that of chicks fed wheat, Triticale, or 1.6% ergot and Triticale diets in mash form.